Free Republic

SAN MATEO -- The director of a Half Moon Bay charity was sentenced today to 10 days in jail for offering $500 to a woman to have sex with him after she asked him for financial help. Michael Niece, 65, co-founder and director of the now-closed Coastside Catholic Worker charity, said he would surrender shortly at the San Mateo County jail. "I'd rather get this over with now," Niece said quietly to his attorney after Judge Carl Holm of San Mateo County Superior Court gave him about a month to get his affairs in order. Holm ultimately ordered Niece to...

NEW YORK (AP) Christina Applegate, star of the Broadway-bound revival of ``Sweet Charity,'' broke her foot during a performance in Chicago and will be out of the musical through its Boston tryout engagement. Applegate was injured during the opening moments of Friday's performance at the Cadillac Palace Theatre in downtown Chicago. She continued to play for about 20 minutes before the show was stopped. After a short delay, Applegate's understudy, Dylis Croman, took over the role, and the performance resumed. She is expected to return to the musical by the time it starts preview performances April 4 in New York,...